From the Aiken Standard:
Aiken Fire vs. Palos Verdes (CA) GERMANTOWN, Md. - The Aiken Fire will play for a national title in the boys Under-15 division of the U.S. Youth Soccer Championships.
The Fire tied the Palos Verdes (Calif.) Raiders 1-1 Friday in their third game, while the Rochester (N.Y.) Junior Rhinos Elite downed the Chicago Sockers 3-2.
The combination of the two enabled the Fire to advance to the finals in their age group where they will meet Roches-ter in a rematch of an opening-round game which the Rhinos won 6-2. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. The Rhinos wound up 3-0 in pool play to finish with nine points, earning three points for each victory. The Fire, who went 1-1-1, earned four points to three for the Sockers and one for the Raiders.
Palos Verdes scored 24 minutes into the game and maintained the lead well into the second half. The Raiders threatened again with only two minutes left in the first half, but this time, Aiken goalkeeper Mike Gustavson stuffed the shot.
The Fire had a number of scoring opportunities in the second half. Fourteen minutes in, Eric Baafour took a pass, drew two defenders and dumped it off to Rob Victor, who trapped it, set up and ripped a bending 25-yarder that hit the far post.
Three minutes later, after a foul by the Raiders, Gustavson took a direct kick from midfield and sent it into the box. Baafour brought it down, turned and went far post. The Palos Verdes keeper dove and got his fingertips on it and sent it wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Craig Gulick got his head on it, but sent his shot a yard wide.
Finally, with 13 minutes left, the Fire broke through. After a foul by the Raiders, Jordan Gilbert took a direct kick near the touchline about 35 yards out, sending it cross field where Q Jackson headed it back in the box. Baafour was there for a side volley near post and beat the goalkeeper to tie it.
The Fire had several chances to win it outright in the closing minutes. Two headers by Victor inside the far post on crosses went wide, one again hitting the post. Willie Pereira hit the crossbar after a rebound and an open net and Sani Hadziahmetovic missed wide left by a yard after beating his defender and getting a shot from about 15 yards out.
Gilbert, Gulick, Markus Jackson, Parker Rogers and William Batson helped stymie any late threats by the Raiders on defense.
